Factors Affecting Willingness to Fight for One’s Own Country: The Case of Baltic States

Abstract

It is critical for special operation forces practitioners and military planners to understand the willingness of the Baltic population to defend their homeland. The author shows that people who share strong national pride, confidence in government and the armed forces, and financial satisfaction are more likely to sacrifice their lives for their country. Moreover, such socio-economic factors like gender, age, employment, education, marital status, living place also allow researchers to predict an individual’s attitude towards will to fight. This article provides a framework for understanding and recommends methods of increasing willingness to fight among the population of the Baltic region.